If the sale of common stock to PSQ is approved by the shareholders, the proceeds would provide the Company with additional liquidity to continue operations. If the sale of common stock is not approved, and if business conditions do not improve, the Company would need to significantly reduce or cease operations. Absent the cash that would be received from the sale of stock to PSQ, the Company’s management estimates that the Company would exhaust its cash resources by the end of the fourth calendar quarter of 2009, and, in light of the condition of the current financial markets, the Company may not otherwise be able to obtain financing needed to continue its operations, or if able to obtain it, such financing may not be available on market terms or terms attractive to the Company.
Consolidated net revenues for the six months ended March 31, 2009 were down $2,494,000 (32%) from the prior year. Contract service revenues decreased $917,000 (24%) and placement service revenues decreased $1,577,000 (39%). As a result of the weaker economic conditions that prevailed during the six months ended March 31, 2009, the Company experienced less demand for its services. The decline in consolidated net revenues was the result of a 13% decrease in the number of billable contract hours and 49% fewer placements.
The cost of contract services includes wages and the related payroll taxes and employee benefits of the Company’s employees while they work on contract assignments. There are no direct costs associated with placement service revenues. The cost of contract services for the six months ended March 31, 2009 was down $556,000 (21%) as a result of the lower volume of contract business. The gross profit margin on contract business was 30.2%, which was 2.2 points less than 32.4% for the prior year.
The Company’s largest selling, general and administrative expense is for compensation in the operating divisions. Most of the Company’s employment consultants are paid on a commission basis and receive advances against future commissions. Advances are expensed when paid. When commissions are earned, prior advances are applied against them and the consultant is paid the net amount. At that time, the Company recognizes the full amount as commission expense, and advance expense is reduced by the amount recovered. Thus, the Company’s advance expense represents the net amount of advances paid, less amounts applied against commissions.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the six months ended March 31, 2009 decreased $958,000 (16%). Compensation in the operating divisions was down 25%, reflecting lower commission expense on the lower volume of business. Administrative compensation was down 23%, due to executive pay reductions, staff reductions and lower deferred compensation expense. Occupancy costs were down 13% because of operating fewer branch offices than last year. Partially offsetting these reductions was a 36% increase in recruitment advertising, which was due to higher utilization of job board posting services and higher costs per posting.
Other
Investment income for the six months ended March 31, 2009 was down $134,000 from the same period last year, due to a combination of lower funds available for investment and a lower average rate of return on investments. Returns in fiscal 2009 were adversely affected by a downturn in the credit markets and reflect losses on trading securities.
There were no credits for income taxes as a result of the pretax losses during the periods, because there was not sufficient assurance that future tax benefits would be realized.
Results of Operations – Three Months
Net Revenues
Consolidated net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2009 were down $1,417,000 (36%) from the prior year. Contract service revenues decreased $660,000 (32%) and placement service revenues decreased $757,000 (41%). As a result of the weaker economic conditions that prevailed during the three months ended March 31, 2009, the Company experienced less demand for its services. The decline in consolidated net revenues was the result of an 18% decrease in the number of billable contract hours and 46% fewer placements.
Cost of Contract Services
The cost of contract services for the three months ended March 31, 2009 was down $357,000 (26%) as a result of the lower volume of contract business. The gross profit margin on contract business was 27.3%, which was 5.9 points less than 33.2% for the prior year due to competitive pricing pressures during the period.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2009 decreased $508,000 (17%). Compensation in the operating divisions was down 28%, reflecting lower commission expense on the lower volume of business. Administrative compensation was down 16%, due to executive pay reductions. Occupancy costs were down 12% because of operating fewer branch offices than last year. Partially offsetting these reductions was a 19% increase in recruitment advertising, which was due to higher utilization of job board posting services.
Other
Investment income for the three months ended March 31, 2009 was down $13,000 from the same period last year, due to a combination of lower funds available for investment and a lower average rate of return on investments. Returns in fiscal 2009 were adversely affected by a downturn in the credit markets and reflect losses on trading securities.
There were no credits for income taxes as a result of the pretax losses during the periods, because there was not sufficient assurance that future tax benefits would be realized.
Financial Condition
As of March 31, 2009, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $2,464,000, which was a decrease of $1,701,000 from September 30, 2008. Net working capital at March 31, 2009 was $2,375,000, which was a decrease of $1,910,000 from September 30, 2008, and the current ratio was 2.7 to 1. Shareholders’ equity as of March 31, 2009 was $3,240,000 which represented 70% of total assets.
During the six months ended March 31, 2009, the net cash used by operating activities was $1,507,000. The net loss for the period, adjusted for depreciation and other non-cash charges, used $1,716,000. A reduction of accounts receivable provided $584,000, and all other working capital items used $375,000.
Consistent with the Company’s intentions to conserve cash, there were no capital expenditures during the six months ended March 31, 2009. In connection with the proposed transactions with PSQ, the Company incurred $194,000 of deferred stock issuance costs as of March 31, 2009.
Information about future minimum lease payments, purchase commitments and severance arrangements is presented in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008.
10
Due to the effects of the U.S. economic downturn, the Company incurred losses during the first six months of fiscal 2009, and as a result the Company’s cash position was reduced to $2,464,000 as of March 31, 2009. The Company announced on March 30, 2009 that it has signed a definitive securities purchase and tender offer agreement under which PSQ will acquire a controlling interest in the Company. See “Proposed Transactions” in the notes to consolidated financial statements. Under the terms of the agreement, PSQ has agreed, among other things, to purchase from the Company 7,700,000 newly issued shares of common stock of the Company at a purchase price of $0.25 per share for a total purchase price of $1,925,000. The share purchase is subject to the approval of shareholders, and the share purchase and tender offer are subject to other customary closing conditions.
If the sale of common stock to PSQ is approved by the shareholders, the proceeds would provide the Company with additional liquidity to continue operations. If the sale of common stock is not approved, and if business conditions do not improve, the Company would need to significantly reduce or cease operations. Absent the cash that would be received from the sale of stock to PSQ, the Company’s management estimates that the Company would exhaust its cash resources by the end of the fourth calendar quarter of 2009, and, in light of the condition of the current financial markets, the Company may not otherwise be able to obtain financing needed to continue its operations, or if able to obtain it, such financing may not be available on market terms or terms attractive to the Company.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of March 31, 2009, and during the six months then ended, there were no transactions, agreements or other contractual arrangements to which an unconsolidated entity was a party, under which the Company (a) had any direct or contingent obligation under a guarantee contract, derivative instrument or variable interest in the unconsolidated entity, or (b) had a retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to the unconsolidated entity.
Forward-Looking Statements
As a matter of policy, the Company does not provide forecasts of future financial performance. The statements made in this Form 10-Q Quarterly Report which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and, other than with respect to statements relating to the tender offer commenced by PSQ, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the acquisition of shares pursuant to the tender offer, the consummation of the share purchase, the filing of documents and information with the SEC, other future or anticipated matters regarding the transactions discussed in this report and the timing of such matters. Such forward-looking statements often contain or are prefaced by words such as “will” and “expect.” As a result of a number of factors, our actual results could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Certain factors that might cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (1) general business conditions, the demand for the Company’s services, competitive market pressures, the ability of the Company to attract and retain qualified personnel for regular full-time placement and contract assignments, the possibility of incurring liability for the Company’s business activities, including the activities of its contract employees and events affecting its contract employees on client premises, and the ability to attract and retain qualified corporate and branch management, (2) the risk that the conditions to the closing of the tender offer or the share purchase set forth in the securities purchase and tender offer agreement will not be satisfied, (3) changes in the Company’s business during the period between the date of the Purchase Agreement and the closing, (4) obtaining regulatory approvals (if required) for the transaction, (4) the risk that the transactions will not be consummated on the terms or timeline first announced, and (6) those factors set forth under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements” in our annual report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, and in our other filings with the SEC. The Company is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) and does not intend to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Item 4T, Controls and Procedures.
As of March 31, 2009, the Company’s management evaluated, with the participation of its principal executive officer and its principal financial officer, the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined
11
in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Based on that evaluation, the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were adequate as of March 31, 2009 to ensure that information required to be disclosed in reports filed or submitted by the Company under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms.
There was no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 4, Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
At the annual meeting of shareholders on February 23, 2009, the shareholders elected all nominees for election as directors. The name of each director elected, together with the number of votes cast for election and the number of votes withheld, are presented below:
| | | | | |
Nominees | | Votes For | | Votes Withheld |
| | | | | |
Dennis W. Baker | | 2,821,503 | | 1,334,098 |
Sheldon Brottman | | 2,819,474 | | 1,336,127 |
Edward O. Hunter | | 3,474,673 | | 680,928 |
Herbert F. Imhoff, Jr. | | 4,384,302 | | 2,407,243 |
Thomas G. Kosnik | | 2,791,459 | | 1,364,142 |
Kent M. Yauch | | 2,821,503 | | 1,334,098 |
Item 6, Exhibits.
The following exhibits are filed as a part of Part I of this report:
12
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| | | |
| | GENERAL EMPLOYMENT ENTERPRISES, INC. |
| | |
| | (Registrant) |
|
Date: May 12, 2009 | | By: /s/ Kent M. Yauch |
| | | |
| | Kent M. Yauch |
| | Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal financial and accounting officer and duly authorized officer) |
13